Introduction

Soil Fertility
y and Plant Nutrition

Wh does
Why d it matter?
tt ?

CO2 Light

Heat

W t
Water N ti t
Nutrients

Soil Productivity
• Capacity of a soil to support production of a
specific crop.

• Measured in terms of yield/biomass

• Productivity depends on adequate moisture

and soil nutrients
nutrients, as well as favorable
climate (temperature, rainfall).

1
 Soil Fertility
• Soils’ capacity
p y to supply
pp y elements essential for
plant growth

• Measured: - directly (concentration of nutrients)

- indirectly (productive capacity)

• Soil fertility is relative to the plant being

considered

• Soil fertility can be improved by adding nutrients

Importance of Soil Fertility

• Civilization depends on agriculture

• Agriculture
g depends
p on soil p
productivity
y

• Soil productivity depends in part on soil

fertility

World Population Growth

2
Food Production and Nourishment

US agricultural productivity

T d in
Trends i US F
Farmlands
l d

3
 World Fertilizer Consumption

100
on Tons

80
60 Nitrogen
P2O5
40
Millio

K2O
20
0
NO3-
1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Location of North American phosphate

and potash mines
BC
AB MB
SK
ON PQ
PEI
WA NB

ME
MT ND NS

OR MN VT

ID NY
NH

SD WI
MI MA
CT
WY RI

IA
PA
NE OH NJ
NV IL IN MD
UT WV DE
CO MO VA
CA
KS
KY
NC
AZ NM OK TN
AR SC

MS AL GA Potash mines
TX LA Phosphate rock mines

FL

World Phosphate Reserves

• Yearly Production: 140 million tons
• Total Reserves: 13,224 million tons
• Life of Reserves: 88 years

• US Reserves: 1,102 million tons

• Life of US Reserves: 25 years

4
 World Potassium Reserves
• Yearly Production: 30 million tons

• Total Reserves: 9,256 million tons

• Life of Reserves: 325 years

Factors Affecting Plant Growth

and Yield

• Climate: rain, temperature, light, wind, etc.

• Crop: variety, planting date, pests, etc.

• Soil: fertility,
y, structure,, texture,, etc.

Textbook Table 1-6

Leibig’s
Leibig s Law of the Minimum

The level of plant production can

be no greater than that allowed by
th mostt limiting
the li iti growthth ffactor
t

5
L ibi ’ s A
Leibig’ Analogy
l off a B
Barrell

Seeding rate

P and seeding
g rate

Water, P and seeding rate

Seeding rate

P and seeding
g rate

Water, P and seeding rate

6
 Seeding rate

P and seeding
g rate

Water, P and seeding rate

Seeding rate

P and seeding
g rate

Water, P and seeding rate

Essential Plant Nutrients

Classification: Quantitative Abundance
Macronutrients Micronutrients
• Carbon • Iron
• Hydrogen • Zinc
• Oxygen • Boron
• Nitrogen • Molybdenum
• Phosphorous • Copper
• Potassium • Manganese
• Calcium • Chloride
• Sulfur • Nickel
• Magnesium

7
Classification of Nutrients based on
Function

8
Classification of Nutrients: Function

Classification of Nutrients: Function

Classification of Nutrients: Mobility

9
 S deficiency
y

N deficiency
y

C iti l R
Critical Range

Steenberg
g effect

World Fertilizer Consumption

100
on Tons

80
60 Nitrogen
P2O5
40
Millio

K2O
20
0
NO3-
1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

10
 EUTROPHICATION
Natural Process Accelerated by land use

11
Extent of Hypoxia
yp in the Gulf of Mexico
Frequency of Occurrence 1985 - 1999

Distribution of frequency of occurrence of midsummer hypoxia —

based on data from Rabalais, Turner and Wiseman

Reading assignment
• Chapter 2,
2 basic soil-plant
soil plant relationships
page 14-27

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